Rieck Avenue students celebrate Dr. Seuss' 108th birthday

View full sizeJim Cook Jr./The NewsThird grader Anthony Kristivich, 9, reads his own original poem during the Read Across America assembly at Rieck Avenue School Friday morning, honoring Dr. Seuss.

MILLVILLE — In the words of Friday’s birthday boy: “You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”

And that’s exactly what happened at the Rieck Avenue School last Friday, and Dr. Seuss’ 108th birthday was celebrated with a fanfare of reading during a special assembly.

“(Dr. Seuss) knew that reading was important,” Principal Brian Robinson told more than 100 students at the assembly. “That’s why we’re working so hard to teach reading this year.”

Robinson added that the year’s theme was poetry, which is how Dr. Seuss’ books read. And in the theme of Dr. Seuss, many students wrote their own poetry that they stood up in front of their teachers, parents and peers, and read.

Some of the students’ poetry listed single imaginative adjectives to describe how they feel about reading Dr. Seuss, others writing (and reciting) their poems in full verse.

Staff Sgt. Scott Vanneman served as the morning assembly’s guest speaker, first leading the students in the reader’s oath.

Vanneman served two tours of duty in the U.S. Army Airborne division, in Eastern Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.

He’s currently married with three boys, triplets, all one year old, named Ian, Luke and Eric.

Vanneman is also a 1990 graduate of Millville Senior High School, where his favorite subject history.

Once he had their attention, he read the Dr. Seuss book “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.”

A slide projector showing the pages of the book gave children the full Dr. Seuss experience of the book.

Many times, during the more comedic parts of the book and nailed the punch-line and rhythm, ripples of laughter would cascade through the crowd of youngsters.

Some of the Dr. Seuss lines that ran Vanneman through a complicated tongue-twister gave the adults a good laugh.

Following Vanneman’s reading, Vice Principal Danette Boone and Principal Robinson presented a new poem about the Cat in the Hat visiting Rieck Avenue School, and was written by gathering contributions from the students.

“This is our fifth year holding a big assembly,” Robinson told The News. “It’s all part of Read Across America Day, celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday.”

Robinson said he hopes that students take away a positive experience and eagerness to do more reading, especially in their free time.

“It’s all about encouraging students to read,” Robinson said. “We devote the full day to showing students that reading is a fun and enjoyable experience.”

After the assembly concluded, students and staff went back to their respective rooms to participate in smaller scale Read Across America activities, and read more Dr. Seuss stories.

Some classes were treated to Dr. Seuss readings by the senior members of the Millville High School Football team, which brought the school into the Group IV South State Finals earlier in the academic year.

Nick Tymbal, an 18-year-old senior at Millville Senior High, plays on the offensive and defensive line while not reciting Dr. Seuss poems.

“Our Coach’s (Jason Durham) wife is a teacher here and the administration bring us over,” Tymbal said. “That’s how it works each year. But it’s only seniors, so this is our first and only time we’ve participated in Read Across America.”

Tymbal added that he remembered Read Across America when he was in elementary school.

“We used to be them,” Tymbal said, acknowledging the students. “Now we’re here in another role. As long as they enjoy themselves, that makes us happy.”